


An Unorthodox Therapy

by GlamorousGamine



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Saga (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Doctor/Patient, Gen, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, Mommy Issues, POV Third Person Limited, Psychologists & Psychiatrists, Therapy, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 05:15:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4466765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlamorousGamine/pseuds/GlamorousGamine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new therapist is shown into Azula's cell, a therapist who only says one word. But one word is all it takes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unorthodox Therapy

Azula glared at the wall. They had found her and bound her and in his cruelty (stupid weak Zuzu called it mercy that traitor) had her sent back to the crazy prison. Oh he called it a mental health institution but there was that sneer, that smile in his voice, and the needles and the food and her hair was falling out. Azula knocked around to get the fastenings loose and to free herself from this straitjacket to no avail.

A knock came at the door to her cell. “Your new therapist is here, Azula.” The cheery voice didn’t fool her. Azula had seen her laboring over the food, mixing vials that she called spices (it was poison she could taste it and they tortured her by forcing her to eat it). Azula crouched in the corner and waited.

The largest, ugliest cat slinked in. There were wrinkles all over its green skin, and as it stepped into the cell its wide eyes focused on her. Gold met gold but the cat looked away first to lie down and nap on the floor across from her. Azula smirked.

“Her name is Lying Cat,” said the attendant, bowing out and locking the door.

“A lying cat?” Azula laughed. “What sort of idiots named you that?”

Lying Cat didn’t answer.

“Well, if you’re anything like that Earth peasant, I’ll warn you now,” the first smile in days spread over her face, “I’m a pretty good liar.“

Lying Cat remained silent, her eyes closed

“You don’t need to concern yourself with me. I’m fine and-“

“LYING,” Lying Cat rasped.

“Silence!” Azula snapped. “This is all just a plan to keep me from the throne.”

Lying Cat remained silent. Azula’s eyes widened.

“I am a dragon.”

“LYING.”

“My hair is dark.”

Silence.

Azula threw her head back and laughed. The sound rang through her throat and cells and it was like victory bells. “I was right! It’s true,” Azula cried, a tear making its way down her cheek. “And they denied everything! They told me they cared. I am the rightful Fire Lord after all!”

“LYING.”

Instantly a snarl and a glare replaced the smile. “What kind of Lying Cat are you? I’d make a better Fire Lord than weak Zuzu. I-”

“LYING.”

“Interrupt me again and you’ll see how dangerous I can be even in chains,” Azula seethed. “I’m stronger, smarter than him.” Silence. “I’m better in every-“

“LYING.”

“SHUT UP!” Azula lunged, throwing her weight into her upper body. Lying Cat opened her eyes and jumped onto Azula’s back, forcing the girl down onto the rug rather than let her run smack into the wall.

The dead weight immobilized Azula. Her throat burned and felt sore, and the rug near her eyes was growing wet. “I don’t understand.” She tried to get up. “You’re in on it, aren’t you? They sent you to warp my mind! You’re a liar just like-“

“LYING.”

“Enough! I don’t trust you, why should I trust you? Nobody ever trusted me!”

“LYING.”

“Oh, of course, people trusted me, but they were idiots,” Azula sneered, “but why wouldn’t my father take me with him? What had I done wrong? I was perfect.” Her eyes darted wildly. “It was Mai and Ty Lee, that’s it. Their betrayal was the flaw and-“

“LYING.”

“Well if that wasn’t it what was it you overgrown prune?!” Azula tried to bang her head against the carpet but Lying Cat remained sitting on her back. “I did everything perfect for fourteen years. Why didn’t he- why didn’t he-?” Her eyes drifted upward to Lying Cat and she refused to say it, but then she recognized fear and mercilessly squashed it. “Why didn’t he love me?”

Silence. Miserable silence. The rug beneath her eyes was getting saturated with saltwater.

“Nobody trusts me.”

Silence.

“Nobody loves me.”

“LYING.”

“What?” Lying Cat stepped off Azula’s back and the girl sat up, her lower lip trembling. “Who would be stupid enough to- no, not my mother, she thought I was a monster.” Silence. “Of course she never loved me.”

“LYING.”

_“I love you Azula. I do.”_

“What sense does that make? Why would she love me? Are you broken?” Azula shook her head. “Hmph. Doesn’t matter. She loved Zuko more, and I don’t care.”

“LYING.”

“Shut up. I think I know myself better than you do. And what if I do care? What are you going to do about it?”

Silence.

“Of course. ‘Lying,’” Azula mimicked Lying Cat’s rasp, “is all you can say. What a joke.” She sat down on her bed and glared at the floor. “Zuko’s must be laughing about this elaborate mind game right now.”

“LYING.”

“Enough! Attendant!” She rammed against the door. “I’m done for the day now leave me in peace. Get this thing out of my sight. You,” she glared at Lying Cat. “You think you’re so clever, do you? I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone. As soon as I can break these bonds I’ll be able to take my rightful place as Fire Lord.”

Lying Cat stayed silent as the attendant came to usher her out, and Azula smiled in triumph. Then Lying Cat turned at the last moment, focused her eyes on Azula’s and said with a small smile, “LYING.”

Azula yelled and bit at the air, but Lying Cat slinked calmly out and the door slammed shut. She lay on the floor. Her eyes were drier but now burning. Gritting her teeth, she chanted to herself out, “I was perfect. This… this is all Zuko’s fault. Him and my mother and my stupid friends.”

Silence.

_Lying._

Azula screamed.


End file.
